I kenneled all three dogs Thursday night. We were going to take the kids to Virginia, where they would head off to Florida with my folks. Then my husband and I would get some time alone. We get almost all the way to VA, when the kennel calls. Tess and Tallulah got in a horrible fight and Tallulah is ripped to shreds. We drove back the next morning.

Apparently, Tallulah was being walked from the outdoor kennel to the indoor, when Tess climbed out of the 6 ft run and ran into Tallulah kennel, where her food was sitting. Tallulah yelled MINE and that was all she wrote. He tried to get them apart with a piece of fencing, but they kept going around. Finally he hit Tess several times with a 2X4 to get her into a run, then got Tallulah back.

Tallulah's face and neck have multiple puncture wounds and her ear is bitten off about 1/3 of the way down. I took her to the vet immediately because she already was swollen and her wounds were getting puss filled. She was put on pain meds, anti-inflammitories and antibiotics. Tess has a few minor scrapes, that is all.

He tells me that Tess is all wired, and to be careful because those dogs can turn on you. I told him he was an idiot (well, not so rudely) but I told him that Pits do not 'turn'. Human aggression and dog aggression are two completely different things. He opened the door (Tess had climbed out of her kennel again) and she ran to me and submissively sat at my feet, shaking. She was completely freaked.

I am just beyond thought at this point. I feel responsible, even though I wasn't there. What if Tess had climbed into Tallulah's closed kennel at night? I feel like I have been completely selfish in keeping Tallulah, knowing that Tess and she do not get along. Tallulah would have died, if he didn't get them apart. Tallulah means more to me than any dog I have ever had, she is my heart dog, and I looked at her tonight and wondered if my selfishness was going to get her killed.

I don't know. I probably should just go to sleep and hope I feel more together in the morning.

Your dogs do not run into situations when with you where they will fight, you make sure of that.

I would pick a new kennel.

I am so sorry for Tallulah, will her ear be able to be saved?

I honestly think the kennel should be responsible for the vet bills for Tallulah. It is their responsibility to keep your dogs safe and they have insurance for this type of thing. Why was Tallulah not taken to the Veterinarian immediately? Were you able to make it back quickly? Tess also should have been looked at, is she ok, does she seem very sore? At least the man at the kennel was honest with you I'll give him that. That way you can know exactly what to expect from the dog's injuries.

You should not feel responsible. Oscar and I send you big sloppy kisses and hugs and both girls also (he does love the girls )

The kennel is definately at fault and should be paying the bills plus reinbursing you for anything you payed them to begin with for their service.

It isn't your fault. Hang in there

Patch O' Pits Pursuit-O-Perfection

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I'm so sorry this happened to you & I agree that it is not your fault. It's obvious this kennel has NO idea how to properly board pit bulls. How was she able to get out of a 6 ft run? Why was she not taken immedialty to the vet? I feel so awful for you but it is not your fault nor it is Tess'. My dogs don't get along either, I have only boarded Justice once and Munkee was with me. I was worried sick the whole time & nagged the kennel owner hourly making sure he was taken the proper precautions with her. I was a nervous wreck & I am sure he was glad to see us gone. Get some rest & stop blaming yourself, it is the nature of the breed.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

Tess climbed out of the run. She just used the chain link as a ladder and up and over she went. I shudder to think what would have happened if she had gotten in a fight with something less hardy than Tallulah-that would have killed most other dogs her size. We could have lost Tess if she had killed someone's dog.

I have kenneled there before. Tess and Tallulah have gotten in fence fights there, but I (against my gut instinct) thought I would try again, since the owners seemed very nice and willing to learn from their mistakes. My problem now is how many mistakes can I afford like this? None, is how I feel right now. They are going to put tops on the kennels, they were completely freaked, he had never seen a fight like that. But what next?

They are willing to pay the vet bills, which were only $200. However, it was an accident, so we may split the bill with them. I do not want to be one of those law suit gold diggers. It really was an accident.

Tallulah's top of her ear is gone. There is nothing to save. She just looks like someone came along and bite off the top of her ear. It is pretty funny looking, when I am not horrified about it. We are thinking of renaming Tess- Tyson, and Tallulah- Van Gogh. See, I am feeling a little better.

Tallulah is snuffling, which the vet said meant the wounds on her face are draining into her mouth. She thought that would be the best scenario because the way her face is shaped, there is nowhere to put a drain tube. She ran out today to go potty, so is feeling better. She was having nightmares though last night, so I think she is still rather freaked.

I checked out Tess last night, she does have some wounds, but they are small, I am just keeping an eye on her. Poor Tallulah, she picks these fights then gets her a$$ kicked-you would think she would learn, but no, she would do it again tomorrow. Probably why I love the little Troll so much.

If you were a law suit gold digger, you'd sue them for the price of your *ahem* "show" dog, plus monetary compensation for pain and suffering for both you and her I do not think it's too much to ask for her bills, but of course its up to you.

It's true, it was an accident. But it was an accident that could have been easily prevented if the kennel had been properly set up, ie: the kennel runs went up to the ceiling and/or were covered.

The kennel I used to work at only had half of it's runs covered. I can't tell you know many times we had dogs climb out of their runs and into others. Yet amazingly they have not yet learned from their mistakes.

Hopefully your kennel will learn. Though I am concerned as to why they did not transport your pups to the vet right away. That's the protocol at the kennel I work at now (the old kennel was attached to a vet's office so they would have recieved care anyway), and it seems like common sense to me.

I am glad to hear that Tallulah is feeling better today. Poor girl.

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France

Good to hear ALL of you are doing better today. I always tell my dogs that it is a good thing they are so damn cute because as big of a pain in the butt they can be if it weren't for that.........I'd put them to sleep. Just kidding of course Maybe.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

Thanks. We noticed Tess' whole snout is swollen, but there are no bite marks. Then my son who is in Florida says to me on the phone, is that where they hit her with the 2x4? Probably, I hadn't thought of that.

In hindsight I would have told them to take the girls to the vet. At that point I didn't know Tess could climb fences. It could have EASILY happened a second time. I guess God heard my prayers to keep them safe until I got home.

She is acting fine, up into the kitty litter crunchies and all, so I think she will be fine. Tallulah was playing with her tennis balls, so I think she also will be ok. She has a flyball tourney this weekend, we are going to just take it one race at a time, if she looks like she isn't interested or is sore we will pull her. She loves it so much though I don't want her to miss out.